


Dame Love Life- Crossover Edition

by JoshuaTallTales



Series: Dame Love Life [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Code Geass, Fairy Tail, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, Multi-Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Sawada Tsunayoshi, Crossover Pairings, Drabble Collection, Every Romance Trope, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Hetero Pairings, Multi, Multiple Crossovers, Rare Pairings, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-08 17:40:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17390759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoshuaTallTales/pseuds/JoshuaTallTales
Summary: Arrogant... Humble... Jaded... Innocent... King, Slave, and Ghost... No matter what face they wear, they all have one thing in common, they're all Tsunayoshi Sawada. . . One Shot Crossovers of our favorite baby faced mafioso in various "parallel worlds". Multiple-Hetero-pairingsMore Fandoms will be added in the description as added





	1. Fairy Tail

**Author's Note:**

> Info to Know Before Starting the Fics :
> 
> (1) Not all Fics will be romantic, though you can probably squint and find a pairing in all of them.
> 
> (2) For those who don't read Dame Love Life of Tsuna Sawada, my romances tend to be bitter, though this first one will probably be a touch misleading in that.
> 
> (3) The Tsuna's will almost assuredly be a part of the Universe they're in; so a Harry Potter Tsuna would likely use a wand instead of Dying Will Flames, because that's where power is in that universe. 
> 
> (4) There won't even always be a company or mafia group, and Tsuna won't always be the boss if there is

 

**Fairy Tail**

"Well" said the dry voice of a young man hovering in the air overlooking the battlefield in front of him, "This certainly escalated quickly."

A figure observed the rather odd scene of an entire building, which seemed to be on mechanical spider legs ( _Please tell me this isn't some lost toy of Spanners_ ), crawling its way toward the Fairy Tail Guild, while people from both buildings yelled and screamed bloody murder at each other.

 

"Should… should I do something?" the figure asked himself unsure, "I don't see the target, and I don't really have any orders to get in the way of a guild war, and I really don't have the knowledge to even pick a side to fight on."

As the noise escalated, an incredibly annoying old voice, announced that they were there to take Lucy Heartfilia, and that Fairy Tail should give them up or face an ass kicking.

"Whelp, I guess I can't pretend this isn't my problem", the figure sighed, "Boss is not going to be happy if we have to pay for this mess; damn I was hoping my  **Phoenix Wisdom**  was wrong and that the leader of Phantom  _hadn't_  been this stupid."

 

His eye widened, when a giant magic conversion cannon appeared from the front of the building, clearly willing to blow them ( _and possibly his target_ ) to high heaven.

"Dammit" the figure cursed, and with a burst of fire, he was speeding towards the endangered fairies.

 

* * *

 

Erza screamed at her family to get back, even as she quickly changed armors and began desperately flaring her magic energy; the master was down, she was the only one present who could take such a blast and possibly survive.

"ERZA!" her brothers and sisters screamed, she ignored them, spreading her arms and legs to catch as much of the blast as possible.

And then her vision was covered in black, had she lost consciousness already?

 

"What the hell is that!?" someone screamed behind her, answering her question of whether or not she was still conscious.

Taking a step back she saw it was a giant black cloth of some kind and, whatever it was, was stopping the blast.

"Are you alright miss?" came a polite inquiry to her left, and turning her head she saw the cloth attached to a figure.

The figure wore black cloak (" _it's a mantel you uncultured swine"_ ) which bottom was stretched out in a massive tarp shielding the fairies; a simply grey and white pinstriped suit, a top hat, and bandages covering every other exposed part including his hair and mouth, excluding a single brown eye.

Before she could answer or question his presence, she felt Grey, Natsu, and Elfman come up behind her.

 

"Hey Erza, what do you think your doin, trying to take that all on by yourself!?" Natsu of all people, admonishing her for reckless action.

"Silence Natsu, sometimes men must sacrifice themselves for the sake of their loved ones; though that was unmanly rushing off ahead Erza." Elfman, hypocritically scolding both of them, and ignoring the fact that she was a woman.

"Whose he?" Grey, the only one asking the important question

"I don't know" she said answering him and ignoring the other two numbskulls who'd forgotten their worry for her and picked a fight with each other over Elfman's last comment.

 

**_"FAIRY FOOLS!"_** came Jose's amplified voice

 

"Oh, I guess his attack is done", the stranger said mildly, as his cloak shrunk, once more giving them view of Phantom Lord's hideous castle.

 

_**"YOU CAN'T TAKE ANOTHER SHOT LIKE THAT, IN FIFTEEN MINUTES IF YOU DO NOT SURRENDER, WE WILL OBLITERATE YOU, HAND OVER LUCY HEARTFILLIA OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!!!"** _

 

"Wow, what a jackass" the stranger mumbled, "He doesn't even know how I stopped the attack, but he's assuming I couldn't just do it again?"

That was relieving and troubling all at once

On the one hand, the stranger had saved them, and from his words would at least be willing to do so again; on the other, he was very powerful and had suspicious timing, if they had to fight, Erza didn't know if they could stop him before he caused any serious harm

"Who's the mummy Erza?" Natsu asked, finally noting the stranger's presence, who only waved pleasantly despite his rather intimidating appearance

"Mummies aren't real, he's probably an escaped mental patient." Elfman commented

"Wouldn't I be just an escaped patient from a regular hospital, what do bandages have to do with sanity?" the stranger asked not concerned in the least that he'd just been insulted.

"Doesn't matter" Erza cut them off before the slapstick comedy could continue, "We need a plan, and a team to get inside the castle."

"I'm going/I'm going" Natsu and Gray said simultaneously, not even bothering to glare at each other for the unintended jinx, this was personal.

"Good, we nee-"

"Excuse me" the stranger interrupted in a polite tone even raising his hand, "Do you know where Lucy Heartfilia is?"

Instantly the Fairy Tail Mages narrowed their eyes at the bandaged suited up man

 

"We are NOT giving them Lucy" Natsu said in an uncharacteristically low tone, it was dark and foreboding, but it was a sentiment they all agreed with.

"I never said you were" the figure said with a tilt of his head, but it felt fake to Erza as she noticed the subtle tensing in his stance.

"Then why do you need to know,  _friend_?" Gray asked equally as frigid, and Elfman cracked his knuckles

"Oh, I just want to talk to her" the stranger said in a faux casual voice, but the coolness of his next words made it clear he would have an answer whether they wanted to give it or not, "Now then, where. Is. she?"

 

"Just give me up, I don't want my friends to get hurt over me!" came a voice from the crowd behind them that Erza knew to be Lucy, apparently there had been some scuffle while the three other members of Team Natsu had been talking to this intruder.

"There she is" he said single eye swiveling behind them

"I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HER" Natsu roared flying towards the man before he could move, " **Fire Dragon's Left**!"

 

_***SMACK*** _

 

Erza's eye widened at the sight in front of her, it was surprising enough to make her freeze for a moment.

"Whoa there!" the stranger exclaimed in an untroubled voice, his little finger blocking Natsu's now blaze free fist, "All I said was I needed to talk to the girl, there's no need to attack; what if I had just been an ordinary messenger? A punch of that force could have killed me."

"You-uuuuugh" Natsu tried to speak, before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed

"NATSU" they yelled, which was echoed from behind them as Natsu's earlier shout had garnered the attention of the other Fairies who were making their way towards them.

Erza ignored it in exchange for pointing her sword at the man's throat

"What did you do to Natsu!" she snarled

"Knocked him out in obvious self-defense" the man rolled his single visible eye, even as he brushed aside her blade with disturbing ease.

"He's cold" said Gray who had his fingers on Natsu's pulse, the short nod he sent her confirmed he was alive, "Flame brain is never cold."

The three glared at the man in front of them as the rest of the guild finally caught up

 

"Natsu!"

"What happened!"

"Who the hell is this fucker!?"

"Why are we letting him still breathe?"

"Natsu!"

"What the hell!?"

"Whose this!?"

"Nats-"

"SHUT UP" Erza finally snapped ending the noise immediately, "What did you do?"

 

"I absorbed his flames" the stranger answered, "I'm guessing he's a very powerful Flame Mage if the lack of flames knocked down that bad."

"He's a  **Dragon Slayer** " Lucy mumbled looking horribly guilty from where she was now kneeling

"Really, I'm a  **Phoenix Slayer** , small world" the stranger said before he suddenly took notice of Lucy's figure and Erza stiffened.

"Lucy get back!" Elfman barked, apparently seeing the same thing

Lucy blinked surprised, but before she could move, the stranger was crouched in front of her arm reaching in his cloak; Lucy jumped and Erza had her sword ready to blast the man to kingdom come when-!

 

"Delivery!" the man said in a cheery voice as he handed over a letter from his pocket, essentially breaking all tension.

"W-what?" Lucy asked obviously thrown off balance; Erza was too, as was everyone else present

"I told you I just needed to talk to her, what did you think I was going to do?" bandages covered the man's whole face, but his single eye alone was enough to make her want to slash him anyway; he was amused.

"Then why did you attack Natsu!?" Mira questioned from where she too had knelt to his side

"I didn't" the stranger said dryly, "He came at me with a flaming fist when I asked where Ms. Heartfilia was, and I blocked with a technique that absorbed fire."

 

The other's looked to her and the other two boys to confirm; Erza coughed into her fist while Elfman rubbed the back of his head finding his feet fascinating.

Grey sighed and pinched his nose,

"I can't believe I got caught up in Flame Brain's stupid" he groused

"So it was Natsu's fault after all."

"I thought as much."

"Served the dumbass right for attacking without question all the time."

"Aye"

 

The Fairy Tail Mages had no sympathy for their guild mate.

 

"OH MY CLAMS!" the stranger suddenly yelled pointing at Happy who just spoke, "WHY IS THAT CAT BLUE!"

"THAT'S WHAT YOU NOTICED!" Lucy roared, as ever being the straight woman

"I'm blue, because I'm a cat that can talk and my name is Happy" Happy 'explained' with a smile on his face.

"Oh I see, it's nice to meet you" the stranger replied immediately calmed

"YOU EXCEPT IT THAT EASILY!" Lucy screamed

"I've lived an interesting life" the cloaked man shrugged, "My family is far more interesting than an odd colored cat."

"Again he ignores the talking flying part" Gray mumbled

 

"Right, um, thank you for delivering this" Lucy said awkwardly getting back on topic, "Sorry he attacked you, but we're kind of in the middle of something right now."

Lucy's words brought back the briefly fleeted angst of the situation, and the Fairies adopted grim faces as they faced the 30 ft. weaponized elephant in the room.

"I'm aware, I'll be taking care of that." The stranger said breezily, his hand had moved to Natsu's forehead and a small flame had lit his finger, a moment later Natsu was up.

"I'M ALIVE" he screamed

"You were never dead idiot" Gray mumbled, but Erza ignored that in exchange for eyeing the stranger calculatingly

"What do you mean you'll take care of it" she wasn't doubting his strength, he handled Natsu far too easily, bad technique match ups or not

Instead of answering her, he turned to Lucy

 

"That letter is from your father" the blond girl froze, "My family weren't too pleased with his help's chosen method of requiring you; especially when it became apparent by the news of the attack on those three Fairy Tail members, that Jose is just looking for an excuse to start a war."

The stranger's brown eye narrowed and glowed a vicious red orange, and his next words were a dangerous growl

 

"I _refuse_ to let him use **_my family's_** _**name** _as an excuse for this mockery"

Those present shivered at the obvious rage in his tone

 

"…Your family?" Lucy asked into the silence

"Yes, my family is the one your father made your arranged marriage with, though obviously considering your unwilling nature that contract will have to be renegotiated" he hurriedly added at Lucy's obvious lurch,

"M-m-marriage!?" Lucy shouted

"You didn't know?" the stranger questioned with a tilt of his head

"Who would want to marry someone like Lucy?" Happy asked innocently

"What's that supposed to mean cat!?" Lucy snapped, going from freaked out to pissed in a matter of seconds, "I'm a cute quirky busty girl of seventeen with a beautiful personality, I'm a catch!"

"To say that about yourself out loud, what a vain girl." Happy 'whispered' to Natsu

"Isn't she embarrassed to say that?" Natsu 'whispered' back

"Shut up!" Lucy screamed

 

"To go from scared, to freaked, to over the top angry all in the span of a few seconds, your kind of a weirdo aren't you?" the stranger asked innocently

Lucy immediately crouched to the ground depressed

"The weirdo in bandages is calling me a weirdo, have I changed that much, has Fairy Tail made me lose my common sense without noticing it?" she piteously mumbled to herself

"Nah, I'm sure you were always like that" Natsu 'helped', Lucy only sunk deeper into depression, "What does your family wanting to marry someone like Lucy have to do with Phantom Lord attacking us?"

"Stop saying it like that!" Lucy yelled

 

"Absolutely nothing" the stranger answered, taking his curious gaze off of Lucy and affecting an irritated tone, "The letter is more of summons than anything else, with a few basics about the business proposal, all they had to do was deliver a similar notice to you, force being a last option. Jose is just a power hungry moron."

"But you still would have used force." Gray stated, picking at that particular detail

The stranger only gazed at him evenly as Lucy became nervous again at the sudden quiet

"So you are a bad guy." Natsu said infuriated

"I just saved your friend's life." The stranger said pointing to Erza, as she slightly bristled at the doubt of her skills

"Aye, that's true" Happy said

 

"And we're grateful" Gray said, though his tone made clear there was a 'but' coming, "but how do we know you're not going to just try and snatch her from the winner of this battle."

"Cause their won't be a battle" the stranger answered as if it were obvious, just then the gates of the Phantom Lord's castle opened and hordes of warriors exited

"Looks like there will be" Erza answered eyeing the horde coldly, "I don't believe Jose is going to pull back just because your family is calling off the mission."

 

"Holy crap, where did all those guys come from!?"

"Didn't we kick all the regular members of the guild's ass?"

"Their shadows" Mirajane answered, "Jose's magic allows him to create expendable shadow warriors to fight for him."

"That's outrageous!"

"So" muttered Elfman "This is the power of one of the ten wizard saints, how unmanly to not fight your own battles."

"Alright some expendable anger management to tear apart" Natsu roared with flame engulfed hands "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

"Well tough" the stranger said poking him making the fires disappear and ignoring Natsu's indignant shout, "I already said there won't be a battle."

 

"Then what do you call that!?" Lucy yelled slightly panicked, pointing at the rapidly approaching shadows

"If you want to marry into my family, you'll have to keep a calmer head when things spin out of control." The stranger chose to admonish her instead with a disappointed shake of the head

"I never said that I would!" Lucy yelled back indignant

"Maybe, maybe not" the stranger answered with a careless shrug, but it was clear which he believed would happen, "And to answer your question, I call  _that_ …"

 

He pointed to the castle and oncoming shadows; his cloak wrapped around his pointing arm and with a flash of light was a red gauntlet.

 

"A massacre" at his words, an orange white ball began to form at the front of his gauntlet, "Did you know, my mantle doesn't just block attacks, but absorbs them?"

The ball suddenly grew to the size of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall

"And adds their energy to my own;  **Burning Axle** "

 

Then the world _exploded_

 

* * *

 

"Starting a Guild War, because your jealous of another's success" Bandages shook his head disappointed, "that has to be the most childish thing I ever heard"

"Yeah" Lucy said with a deadpanned stare, "Childish"

Her reasons were quite justified; after releasing a giant fiery swirling ball of death on the Phantom Lord's Guild HQ, Bandages marched into the wreckage and grabbed badly injured stragglers; then somehow despite being a fire type, arranged them in funny positions and froze them in blocks of ice to wait for the authorities to pick them up.

Jose was frozen to look like he was on the toilet, another giant looking man was in an extremely provocative position with another shirtless man piercing filled man. Various grunts were in weird comical positions, with the rain girl that first attacked being the worst.

Apparently the girl had the ability to turn into water, and Bandages froze that water and sculpted it to look like a topless mermaid sculpture; Lucy noted Gray was deliberately not looking at it.

 

"By the way, STOP SLACKING AND SERVE ME UP MY FOOD SERVANTS!" Bandages suddenly turned and roared

He somehow had been eating without removing the bandages by his mouth; Lucy tried not to question it.

 

"SHUT UP, WHY THE HELL ARE WE SERVING YOU!!!" Cana, Natsu, Elfman, Macaou, and Bisca yelled

"BECAUSE I'M THE HERO THAT SAVED YOUR LIVES NOW CHOP, CHOP, HEROISM IS HUNGRY WORK" Bandages yelled back.

"YOUR ALREADY ON YOUR 6TH SERVINGS!!!" Cana, the most fed up hissed

"I didn't know Fairy Tail Mages put a price on life" Bandages said condescendingly, "Looks like a few meals is all your life's worth Lucy."

Lucy only smiled awkwardly as several guild members tackled her alcoholic friend to keep her from attacking the monster that just destroyed Phantom Lord.

 

"So... ah, sorry I don't know your name." Lucy said about to ask him more about his presence before realizing she didn't even know his name.

"Ah, I didn't say did I?" Bandages turned back to her, before his visible eye morphed into a smile, "Well that's not important, let's just keep me as the unknown messenger, for the sake of mystery"

"WHAT KIND OF REASON IS THAT!?" Lucy roared at his troll excuse, was it the whole world that was crazy and not just Fairy Tail, or did being a member attract crazy to you.

"HaHaHa, you're over reactions are really funny, you remind me of me when I still had my sanity." Bandages said wiping a tear from his eye

 

" _Had_  your sanity" Lucy questioned fearfully

"Had" Bandages answered firmly, "You didn't think you could step into the world of magic and still be sane did you. Oh you poor, naïve child; the sanity always disappears without you realizing it."

Lucy looked at the guild; Gray stripping because he wasn't cold enough, Erza slapping an injured Natsu to get himself together, Cana downing a tankard of alcohol, all while a talking flying blue cat hovered in the air.

 

Lucy wept

 

"Well at least you're properly desynthesized to join my family" Bandages 'comforted', "I can't wait to see you in a room with _Smoking Bomb_ , I bet your arguments will be legendary."

With that phrase the levity of the moment disappeared as Lucy sat up straight, even the others who had fallen into their usual shenanigans as they waited for Bandages to finish eating, straightened and eyed the man.

"I don't have any intention of marrying into your family." Lucy said, looking straight ahead and daring him to challenger.

"Well that's going to be a bit of a problem" Bandages hummed, unconcerned by tense atmosphere, "You unfortunately fit all the right criteria, and I don't think Boss man will want to let you go."

 

"I won't return to my father!" Lucy slammed her hand against the table passionately, "It's a cold, lifeless existence. I have no desire to be used as just another tool for his company! I don't care about money, or riches, I just want to be with my friends!"

After her exclamation there was a roar from the Fairy Tail Mages as they supported their guild mate.

Bandages didn't interrupt, merely stared back searchingly at her resolute face.

"…And that" he spoke up after a pause, "Is precisely why your perfect."

_Huh_

"Huh" Lucy and several others echoed her thoughts

"Boss is not interested in some pretty little trinket" Bandages elaborated, "Someone with a strong heart, someone who isn't in love with his money, someone willing to sacrifice herself for her friends, that could inspire the kind of loyalty to have friends that would do the same. If you proved to be a shallow rich girl running away to prove a point to daddy, then the contract would have been renegotiated, but now that I've seen you, I don't think the Boss will let you go without a fight even if the contract fails, you're too perfect for him."

 

Lucy could only blink back astonished, what he was saying did not match up in her head with rich arrogant assholes she'd grown up around, trying to get a piece of the Heartfilia fortune through her.

"Besides" Bandages crossed his arms and lifted a barely seen brow, "Who said you had to go back to Jude; you'd be marrying into  _my_  insane family, not the other way around."

"I still don't want to" Lucy protested, even if lack of sanity sounded better than going back to her father, "I don't want to leave-"

"Who said you'd have to leave Fairy Tail?" Bandages tilted his head, "I just told you, Boss isn't looking for a trinket to keep on his arm and we have staff to take care of the home. It's a new age, go ahead and make that money Ms. Independence."

 

"What, then why the heck are we fighting a Guild War!" Droy yelled, only to get smacked in the head by Levi

"Because she doesn't want her future decided for her!" she admonished

"He's rich though right?" Wakaba asked, "She gets to be rich and live her life, I don't see the problem."

"There's more to marriage than just finances" Cana, the money hound surprisingly defended; Lucy would have been touched if she'd left it at that, but instead she continued, "What's he look like, she needs to know the hot to rich ratio."

"Shallow!" Lucy yelled

"Like you can talk, 'I'm a busty quirky girl'" Happy piped up

"Shut up Cat!" she hissed

"He looks like this" Bandages said whipping out a photo, and showing it to the side of the room Cana, Levi, Mirajane, Bisca,and Erza were in.

 

Immediately there were surprised looks before Levi and Bisca blushed, Mira and Cana smiled widely, and Erza suddenly pushed her face closer to the picture.

"H-he looks nice" Levi blushed not taking her dilated eyes off the photo and Bisca nodded, before turning away with a heavy blush.

"Ah, he looks so cute and happy" Mira smiled, "you don't usually see such expressions on a grown man."

"I'd tap it, even without the money" Cana smirked with a shrug

"Well I can certainly think of worse fates" Erza commented lightly, but the fact that she commented at all showed she wasn't unaffected.

"Wait let me see!" Lucy called diving to take a look; only for Bandages to swiftly pocket the photo.

"Why, would it make a difference?" he questioned tilting his head

"It might!" she called struggling to get a look

"Wow, such an honestly shallow girl" he commented, Lucy pouted pitifully

 

"Well, you should probably go take it up with Jude; if you don't want more incidents like this to happen, you got to tell him he no longer has a right to decide your life, and if he tries again Fairy Tail will kick his ass." Bandages said finally pushing her off, "You probably shouldn't mention I did all the work when you make that threat, I don't want our family's name besmirched as deal breakers."

Taking his words to heart, Lucy gathered herself up and gave a nod

"You're right, I'm going to go talk to my father"

 

"Lucy are you sure, what if he nabs you or something?" Gray spoke up

"Yeah, we'll go with you" Natsu shouted, but for once she didn't feel like hiding behind her stronger friends.

"It's fine guys" she cut them off, "This is something I have to do myself"

"Very well" Bandages said standing up, taking the plate of food that Mira was bringing from the bar, "Well I better go report back to the boss man, later."

With a tip of his hat, he was covered in a swirl of fire before he disappeared completely

 

* * *

 

A bandaged man appeared in a hail of fire in what looked like the foyer for a large home

"You're back" said an old man in a brown pin striped suit, greeting the bandaged man with a smile, "So, how did it go."

"Jude was an idiot, he has no control over his daughter, Phantom Lord was worse- I destroyed them, and she joined Fairy Tail" he answered slowly undoing the bandages covering him, "She's determined not to be put into an arranged marriage, while I'm glad we won't have to enter this farce of a business contract with Jude, we may have to find another way to get the Heartfilia Heir into the family before Gramps Zeref's time travel plan comes together."

 

"Or we could go with the first plan and have you marry her Tsunayoshi" the old man answered as the bandages finally came undone to reveal a fluffy brown haired twenty something year old man, "We still have eight years before the ancestor returns to the world stage, I'm sure you can make her fall for you by then."

"I said I didn't want to get married Grandpa!" Tsunayoshi Vongola scowled at his grandfather

"Really" the old man smirked, "Don't want to or  _didn't_  want to?"

Tsuna didn't answer

"My Phoenix Wisdom was right wasn't it" the old man needled

"…"

"You fell hard for the 'Whiny Runaway Heiress' didn't you?"

"… Shut up" the grown man pouted

 

The older man smirked for a moment at the younger's ire before becoming grave

"The Vongola are descendants of the Mage of Life and Death" his grandpa said in a warning tone, " The Phoenix Slayer Magic he engineered from watching Dragon Slayers, is also an embodiment of life and death. Our entire credo is to act as balancers between life and death; to prosper or perish Tsunayoshi, my wisdom said you would be fond of her, but do you think she could handle such a legacy?"

 

"Yes" he answered without hesitation, "I do"

She had displayed her own quiet strength throughout the entire encounter with Phantom Lord; her every interaction with her friends displayed a strong and positive sense of character. He'd also spotted her collection of Golden Celestial Spirit keys; to have acquired and maintained so many contracts with such ancient and varied beings well proved her strength of will, charisma, and versatility. 

And she was a Heartfilia heiress, she'd be a good fit to uphold Vongola Legacy and all that it entailed, he could feel it

 

"So what's she like?" the older man asked, smug at his quick defense of her ability

"Vain, weird, dramatic, vain, cowardly, vain, temperamental, snarky, insecure, vain" he listed off deadpanned and without hesitation; he wasn't _blind_ to those traits

"And…?" the old man persisted

"And she cares about her friends more than her life and probably isn't bad at combat" he grumbled, more annoyed at his elder's enjoyment then the question itself " Her dramatics and temper are kind of cute and funny, and her vanity isn't… well… it's not like it's unwarranted or whatever."

"So she was pretty?" the older man asked

 

"…She was beautiful" he whispered

"Then you better catch her." the old man advised, "Before others realize it."

Brown eyes burned orange with resolve

"I will"

 

* * *

 

Lucy grumbled and shifted somewhat nervously

After she told off her father a man in a black suit and fedora materialized out of nowhere and made it clear that the Vongola were promised a bride and if his daughter was unwilling then the contract was through.

It was clipped and appropriately dramatic, but a little anticlimactic in her opinion for all Bandages swore his family wouldn't let her go so easily

 

Either way, Lucy had decided to make tracks before her father could direct his anger at her, only to be stopped by the same man just outside, saying that his boss wanted to meet the girl that would have been his bride. Lucy would have said no and been done with the whole situation, but unfortunately the picture incident had made her _very_ curious as to what he at least looked like.

Without realizing she'd already nodded that it was okay and followed him to the guest wing of the mansion, where the man was apparently waiting to meet her.

 

She tried not to show her nervousness; it occurred to her that Bandages had never said the name of his family, and she assumed it was some other rich people group her father had a deal with.

The Vongola were not just rich, they were royalty. The family formed 400 years ago at the fall of Zeref and were as old as the nation's _actual_ Royalty; Lucy could almost forgive her father for trying to marry her to them, it was apparent that Bandage's family wasn't trying to get into her family's pockets after all. Quite the opposite in fact.

 

"Lucy Heartfilia?" called a soft toned voice

Lucy looked up and saw him, he wasn't the best looking or sexiest dude she'd ever met, but she supposed he was good looking, though she didn't see the call for the Fairy Tail girl's reactions.

"That's me" she answered with a polite if a touch awkward smile; how were you supposed to greet the guy whose proposal you turned down?

"Tsuna, Tsuna Vongola" he replied reaching to shake and her hand,

And then he smiled

 

Lucy froze, it was the most warming, cutest smile she'd ever seen. She felt her cheeks flush, when her hand met his, and her heart skipped a beat before kick starting into a rapid beat.

' _Oh, that's why'_

"Good to see you told off old Jude, Weirdo Girl" he said with a smile

Lucy froze for a second time, the insulting nickname connecting with a familiar voice and familiar brown eyes.

"Bandages!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger accusingly at the snickering young man

 

"I told you you were perfect for the boss of my family, and that he wouldn't give up on you without a fight." 'Bandages' grinned as he lifted her hand to give it a kiss, and Lucy felt herself flush again, "I wonder, if you'll still have the resolve to tell me no, without having your father to lean on as an excuse."

So did she, Erza hadn't been wrong; certainly could do worse indeed

"I look forward to making you fall for me Lucy Heartfilia" he said in a low purr from where he was still holding her hand, brown eyes flashing a challenging orange

Lucy gulped

 

**Adjective:** Troll Tsuna


	2. Code Geass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very little romance in this chapter, I just wanted to experiment

 

**Code Geass**

Schneizel watched his fellow Brittannians with more than a mild annoyance, though none of it would ever show on his face; it was so easy to forget the contempt one felt for their fellow countrymen when you were able to insulate yourself from them for several weeks at a time, but alas he couldn't avoid this particular meeting.

 

Lively classical Britannian music played throughout the room in honor of the royal family members who were the guests in this juncture. All around the colors of red and gold filled the room; on the walls, the food, the art, even on a significant amount of the oriental guests.

It was the engagement party for his sole elder sibling's marriage to the Chinese Empress, or The Tianzi to use her proper title; though the chances of any other Britannian guests using the culturally appropriate respects outside of his own entourage were slim at best.

Britannia was not a very culturally sensitive race

 

For every able Britannian noble present who lived up to their title as noble, there were another twenty more who were little more than overfed sycophants of a clearly flawed system; and these were the  _best_  that his country could offer.

They were currently swarming around like the vultures they were, not unusual behavior for them; no, what was annoying Schneizel at the present were the whispers.

 

"Who is that the prime minister is talking to?" 'whispered' one

"He looks like some back country Asian Area trash" another said not even trying to whisper, ignoring the fact that they were currently in the most powerful Asian country in the world

"But his eyes are divine though, I didn't know Chinese had access to civilized cosmetic surgery" one squealed at his current seatmates admittedly odd colored irises.

' _Though I'm not one to talk'_  Schneizel thought even as he tried not to get lost in  **burning**  orange orbs,  _'The shades of violet orbs that have marked the royal family for generations are just as notable'_

It was the 53rd Emperor who'd deliberately bred that trait into his bloodline, when he took two sisters with the unique color as concubines as a way to distinguish the royal line.

Schneizel didn't know if the same could be said for his associate, but Schneizel at least knew they weren't a product of surgery; records claiming Giotto Vongole's eyes could burn a man from the inside out well over 400 years ago.

 

"Have a drink your highness" said the well cultured voice in of the man sitting across from him in flawless English, "it will ease your stress, this  _is_  a happy event after all."

Schneizel met orange glittering eyes, clearly amused at his irritation of his fellow countrymen; never mind the fact that Schneizel's face had been perfectly smooth and the man who was a stranger to him read him like an open book.

"I assure you mister Vongole', I am nothing but tickled at my brother's happiness" Schneizel answered smoothly well aware of the listening ears, in any event it wasn't even a total lie.

Odysseus would be happy either way, his bride's ridiculously young age would make him a happy man in another half a decade or so; but what really pleased him was outmaneuvering Zero and his obvious (to Schneizel anyway) plans to put the Chinese Federation in a noose.

 

The masked man was both a thorn and pleasure; on the one hand he was killing Schneizel's favorite and most useful siblings with disturbing frequency, on the other he was rooting out a lot of corruption in a show of open power allowing Schneizel to put his pieces into position from the shadows.

He had never crossed wits with such an interesting opponent before

 

' _Well'_ , Schneizel amended,  _'almost never'_

Across from him Serafino Vongole' was providing quite the entertainment in otherwise tedious proceedings.

Serafino Vongole', current CEO of the Seashell Corporation, one of the only business empires that operated worldwide regardless of war or political climate, and currently one of the wealthiest men in the world sat across from him with a smile almost as empty as Schneizel's own.

As opposed to the oriental dresses and old style robes of the Chinese guests and the capes and somewhat over the top outfits of the Brittannians; Serafino Vongole' was dressed in a simple, if clearly expensive white suit with a black vest and an eye catching orange flower pinned to the jacket.

 

The man had walked in completely unnoticed without spectacle or announcement; if it hadn't been for Sir Kururugi's sudden stiffening at the man's bodyguard (a tall smiling Japanese man, who walked like a ghost, and was likely trained to kill just as silently), Schneizel might not have even noticed him.

As casually as one might have gone to check their mail, he walked up to the Tianzi, whose eyes lit up at his presence (interesting), gave the girl a bow and a kiss on the cheek, a respectful nod to his brother, and would have disappeared into the crowd had Schneizel not seized the opportunity to cure himself of his boredom.

Now sitting at a table, making mostly small talk, Schneizel was almost wondering if he that was a mistake; the younger man was reading him like a book. Disturbing, but oh so amusing.

 

"Could I interest you in a game of chess, Mr. Vongole'" he asked the brown haired enigma, eager to pick at his brain

"Me play one of the world's foremost chess masters, your highness?" Vongole' asked with a crafted eyebrow raise, "I doubt I could give you an appropriate challenge."

"I enjoy a game regardless of the difficulty" truth, he could play his subordinates for hours and never consider it a waste of time and not the least because it was a way to make himself more personable to his underlings by spending time with them, "And I wouldn't sell yourself so short, it's just a game like any other."

"Very well", Vongole' answered after taking a moment to tear through Schneizel's head and let him know he knew exactly what he was doing; Schneizel's grin became a bit more genuine, even when he found someone intelligent enough to look through the mask, rarely was there such a lack of fear.

"I have to ask your highness, are your people usually so attracted to the sight of two men pushing pieces of wood along a table?" Vongole' asked after they were several moves in, acknowledging the small crowd that had gathered around them

"We Brittannians are known to have something of an obsession for the game." Schneizel answered, casually taking one of his opponent's rooks

"Hmm, and why would that be?" Vongole' asked moving his bishop to take the knight that had taken his rook

"Historically, the game has often been used as a metaphor for various plays of power" he answered sacrificing a single pawn to protect his own bishop, "War specifically."

 

"Yes, survival of the fittest is it not?" he replied in a melancholic tone as he took the pawn Schneizel set to be sacrificed, eyeing it like he was seeing something else a million miles away, "I notice you said historically, do you have a specific reason for your love of this game, your highness?"

"Hmm, you caught that did you?" he asked moving his bishop into Vongole' territory, "I personally enjoy the game not for the strategies, though those are always a treat, but for the people making those strategies. Give someone power over another being and see just what kind of people they really are."

At his words the two men exchanged a deep knowing look

"But then again" he said not breaking eye contact, as he checked the man's king "It is just a game,  _Serafino_."

 

"To someone with your intelligence, I'd imagine most things are  _your highness_." Vongole' sniped back, his smile just as careless as Schneizel's own.

' _He read me back'_ Schneizel thought amused and chilled at the same time

"Serafino?" one of the guests 'murmured' ignorantly, "What is that Ukrainian?"

"What are people from the European Union doing here?" another whispered scandalized

Schneizel forced down a groan, his companion was acting deaf to the flurry of whispers, but Schneizel caught his eye as he mimed a brief 'drinking' sign, in reference to his earlier advice to drown out the sycophants with liquor.

Schneizel snorted

 

"Ooooh, drinking liquor on the government's dime; I'll take some of that, where'd you get that?" a loud 'loopy' voice waltzed there way, not caring in the least that he was interrupting a talk between a prince and a business tycoon, breaking up the semi-serious atmosphere.

"Lloyd!" whisper hissed the feminine voice of Ms. Cecile Croomy, clearly embarrassed at her boss's lack of tact

Vongole's eyes, Serafino had noticed, had immediately tacked on to the scientist pair with an almost hungry look.

Seashell Corporation had their hands in everything, but it didn't take a genius to deduce that Knightmare technology sold like hot cakes, his interest in what were technically the world's foremost experts was obvious.

' _Is this something I can use'_  Schneizel thought, leaning back careful not to interrupt any possible interactions between the three,  _'I don't think he particularly likes me, but I doubt_ _ **Europe's Guardian**_ _is the type of man to allow his emotions to rule him'_

 

"Lloyd Asplund?" Vongole' questioned before his eyes trailed over and lingered on the man's assistant, "and that would make you the acclaimed Cecile Croomy?"

"Hmm, Cecile you have a fan." Lloyd said nudging the woman ungracefully, who nudged him back,  **hard**.

"Yes, I'm Cecile Croomy, though I wouldn't say acclaimed or anything." She said with an embarrassed smile, even as she ignored her boss's groaning.

"I would" Vongole' said centering razor focus on the woman, "Serafino Vongole. I read your thesis on converting energy from sakuradite into physical shapes, capable of interacting with the world like any other matter object; granted I needed a team of smart people to dumb it down for me, but it was riveting nonetheless."

"Oh you read that old thing?" Croomy asked surprised and pleased, "I wrote that ages ago, I can't believe you found it; it wasn't all that popular."

"Nonsense, my Chief of Staff ranted about you for weeks; I was tempted to fly down and offer you for a job in my company" Vongole' revealed easily to their party's surprise, "But it seemed someone else snatched you up."

"Yep!" Lloyd once again interrupted, throwing an arm around Ms. Croomy's flustered form, "Too bad for you Feenie old boy, I couldn't let such talent go to waste in something boring like a clean energy plant."

"Lloyd!" Croomy hissed a second time

"What company do you work for, I want to know the name of the place whose face I'm rubbing my victory in, have I heard of you?" Lloyd asked ignoring his assistant

"Lloyd, how rude can you be!" Croomy yelled forgetting to be quiet, "I am so sorry about him, please ignore him he's an idiot."

 

The woman gave a very Eleven like bow ( _probably unconsciously picked up from her previous assignment_ ) in apology; Schneizel didn't miss Vongole's eyes flickering to her reputable… assets, before coughing and looking embarrassed.

It was the first genuine reaction he'd seen from the man all night, aside his amusement at Schneizel's frustration to being read so easily; it was a tad disappointing that Vongole' seemed just as susceptible as any other man to distractions of the flesh, but he doubted it was a particularly exploitable weakness.

"It's fine, I've worked with far worse Ms. Croomy" Vongole' appeased, "Genii are genii no matter where you go; and to answer your question Asplund, I'm the head the  _Seashell Corporation_."

There was an influx in the murmurs as the identity of the mysterious "backwater Asian looking peasant" talking to their prince was announced.

He was pretty sure he heard Weinberg, who had reconvened with them around the time the chess match began, make a choking sound.

 

Croomy for her part swayed on her feet, as she flustered then paled then flustered again, no doubt flattered such a huge corporation had taken an interest in her, scared of how she had been interacting with the man, and flustered again at his interactions with her.

"Oh, oh my, I had no idea" she said leaning slightly against a small display for support

"HA, HA, HA, I stole someone from Seashell, HA, HA, HA" Lloyd though of course burst into laughter without fear

"Lloyd! Don't be rude this is-!" but she was interrupted

"No more rude than talking over and ignoring a prince and the current prime minister, have you no shame Cecile?" Lloyd said offhandedly

The woman in question immediately paled upon noting his gaze and began apologizing, to which Schneizel easily waved off; really being ignored was such a novel experience sometimes, no one ever forgot the snake in the room.

In any case the woman dragged her boss off a few feet away and proceeded to tear into him in full view of their little party; whatever Lloyd's replies were, they were apparently unsatisfactory because he saw her smack the eccentric man on the head.

 

"Isn't he supposed to be the boss?" Weinberg asked in an amused aside

"Yes and an Earl at that" the quiet nearly forgotten Alstriem answered in monotone as she recorded the whole thing on her phone

"Ha, Ha, Ha, you certainly work with interesting people Suzu-kun" laughed the bodyguard from where he had drifted off and was chopping it up with Sir. Kururugi

"Don't call me that Yamamato!" Sir Kururugi said in his own whisper hiss that was tinged in embarrassment; old friends perhaps?

Vongole', Schneizel noticed, hadn't turned his attention away from the female scientist; and as the pair made their way back to the group he thought he heard the man slip in something about Ms. Croomy branching out on her own.

_Trying to poach one of his researchers perhaps?_

 

"Your friends with our buddy Suzaku!?" said the enthusiastic voice of Gino Weinberg, picking up on the term of endearment, and looping his arm around the fellow knight

"Me and Suzu-kun grew up together" 'Yamamato' returned with an easy smile; the older boys chatted clearly not giving a damn for propriety or the looks they were getting for interacting with people across stations, "He used to be so much cuter back then following me around with his little practice sword; I'm actually surprised you remember me at all."

"Your hard to forget" Sir Kururugi grumbled irritated to Schneizel's amusement, it was rare to see the solemn knight break out of his duty driven shell, and this bodyguard was drawing out so many emotions from the Knight of Round, "and I was not that little, I was almost ten you and were fourteen at the most."

 

' _Which would have been around the time of the invasion'_  Schneizel thought taking a glance at Vongole', who seemed content to watch the little tiff with a pleasant smile,  _'So how did he end up with you?'_

"Ha, ha, I know, I know" Yamamato said waving his hands in a patronizingly appeasing manner which only irritated the knight; Schneizel was guessing Sir Kururugi was quite the hothead as a child, "Fuuta talks about you all the time, I think he's your biggest fan Mr. Knight of Round."

"Fuuta" the Knight whispered, like he'd just heard a miracle, "He's okay?"

 

Which probably really meant, 'he's alive'

 

"I just said he talks about you all the time, Tsuna does too." Yamamato said with an amused smile

"Tsuna's okay too!?" Kururugi said perking up at the mention of the name

Growing slightly bored, Schneizel turned to engage in a conversation with Vongole', and see if he could pin down the man's interest in the Camelot research team, only to see the man wearing a genuinely stunned look on his face.

Blinking, Schneizel turned back to see an equally stunned look on Yamamato's

"

Yeeeees" the bodyguard intoned slowly like he thought the other man was saying something incredibly obvious, "He's sitting right there."

All members of their little party followed his finger and turned to the  _orange eyed European_  man, who gave a little amused wave.

"Tsuna-san?" Kururugi said slipping into Japanese honorifics as his eyes slowly widened with recognition, "Your so…"

"Not Dame?" he asked as Kururugi flushed embarrassed, Dame, another Japanese word

"Tsuna?" Schneizel said turning to Vongole'

"Serafino  _Tsuna_ yoshi Sawada-Vongole'" the brunette smiled amused, "At your service"

 

Well wasn't that a twist; the man who was head of one of the most powerful business empires in the world, as well as (to those in the know and Schneizel was always in the know) the secret head of an organization that led most of the European Union from the shadows since its inception, was a twenty something year old with  _Japanese_  blood.

Japan that his country had invaded, stripped, enslaved, and was currently in a war of suppression over, all in his  _very_  young life time… this suddenly gave his willingness to sit down and talk with Schneizel a whole new layer of context.

"You're an Eleven?" Weinberg asked with all the tact and sensitivity of a sledge hammer; though to the young man's credit, his voice lacked any kind of prejudice, and merely held curiosity.

The whispers of the sycophants were nowhere near as such

 

Honestly, how could they forget that the knight of round  _in this very room_ , was also from said country

"I prefer half breed mutt if you will" Sawada-Vongole' answered with a pleasant smile

 

This time there was no muttering from the peanut gallery; in fact other than the music playing, not a sound could be heard from anyone in a ten foot radius of the little group.

"You'd actually  _prefer_  to be looked at as some kind of dog?" Schneizel asked making sure he had heard correctly, interested to hear the man's explanation.

"In your country?" Vongole' rhetorically asked with a raised eyebrow, "Oh yes, very much indeed"

His burning orange eyes looked unnaturally cold, and the smile that crossed his lips was absolutely poisonous, and Schneizel knew that whatever he was about to say next would set in the minds of all those listening.

"After all, in your country it's better to be an  _animal_ , then it is a simple number."

 

' _Well'_  Schneizel thought at the drop dead silence,  _'that's one way to shut them all up'_

"You" Ms. Croomy said joining the conversation looking troubled, "you don't really believe that do you?"

"It's not a believe, but a disappointing reality my dear Ms. Croomy, besides we've all heard far more...  _flavorful_  statements in the last year or so, from a certain cape wearing Rebel" Vongole' shrugged with a careless smile, eyes flickering to behind Schneizel, as if he hadn't said something incredibly tension rising to their current political climate, "Though in this case I may have to accept I might be worse considering I ruined his dramatic entrance. My apologies Mr. Zero."

"There is nothing to apologize for Mr. Vongole'" said a cold metallic voice that made half the room seize up as if struck, "It is I who is after all interrupting a conversation between gentlemen."

 

The chaos was immediate; Kururugi was in front of him weapon drawn in an instant, the red head pilot always at Zero's side had hers pointed back at him, several of the nobles scrambled back as if expecting an attack, Weinberg swallowed the wrong way and choked, and Lloyd immediately started to laugh.

Schneizel for his part just observed curiously, waiting to see the next performance out of this audacious man, who'd had the sheer bloody-minded audacity to show up at a wedding for the prince of the country he was waging war against.

 

A cursory glance to the Chinese guards revealed them to be weary, but not overtly surprised; oh, a wedding gift for the groom perhaps, how thoughtful.

Schneizel was further amused when a little girl who couldn't be older than fifteen, suddenly twirled her way in front of the two armed and dangerous guards with a pretty smile on her face as she cheerily claimed diplomatic immunity.

 

"Kaguya hasn't changed at all boss" he heard the bodyguard snicker; he hadn't even seen the man move to behind his boss's shoulder again, dangerous.

At his words though, the young woman looked up and focused on the Seashell pair with a curious ( _and deceptively calculating_ ) gaze.

"Aren't you Suzu-kun's old sword instructor?" she asked curiously after a moment of eyeing the man up and down, before flickering down to the seated Vongole'.

"TSUNA!?" she cried upon making eye contact with the man

"Well it's nice to know at least one person remembers me" Vongole' droned, not the least bit effected by the tense atmosphere as he sent a faux glare to Kururugi, "How are you doing little princess, I see you've grown; even have a brooding mysterious man on your arm like you always said, though I have to wonder if this one is as pretty under the mask as the last one."

 

"Lulu-kun wasn't brooding, Tsuna-kun, he was just misunderstood" she chirped apparently taking the new revelation of her once thought dead friend being alive at the wedding of the ruler of another country playing chess with the prince of her enemy nation in stride.

' _Dangerous girl'_ Schneizel thought _, 'I wonder what she'll be like when she's older'_

And was he mistaken or did Kururugi, the red head, and even minuscule Zero, all twitch at the name Lulu?

 

 

" _Lulu, you promised you would come play with me!"_

" _Go away Euphie, I'm trying to play a sophisticated game of chess with Schneizel!"_

" _Luuuuuluuuuuu!"_

" _Lelouch and Nunnully have been exiled to Japan to stay with the Prime Minister Kururugi and his family as hostages."_

" _He probably hates us all Cornelia; don't underestimate him because he is a child, I wouldn't be surprised if he organized the Japanese to be his fighting force against the Emperor in an act of rebellion"_

" _You have a terrible sense of humor Schneizel"_

 

 

' _Well, well little brother'_ , Schneizel thought as long forgotten memories surfaced,  _'it seems you sowed some mighty strong roots before you passed'_

Schneizel wouldn't even be surprised if this entire war was linked back to the anger of a banished ten year old prince; it would be deliciously ironic that the greatest threat their nation had ever encountered, turned to be born from the spite of the child his father loved most when the man banished said child out of fear.

 

"I see my apologies then" Vongole' said with an appeasing smile as the girl pouted cutely, "Perhaps your new suitor would like to join the rest of us men folk?"

"You would have someone like me join you?" the masked man asked, even as he brushed by Kururugi his bodyguard trailing him

"Of course, you can even sub for me, I'm afraid his highness has been slaughtering me on this metaphorical battlefield" Vongole' said as he gestured to the semi-forgotten chess game in front of them; Schneizel could admit to finding himself excited to face the masked man in a game of wits in his favorite game, "And I must admit I'm a bit curious."

"Oh, and what finds your curiosity, Mr. Vongole'" Zero said sliding as gracefully as any royal into the third unoccupied seat.

"I merely want to see what mass population's reaction would be, if the three most powerful men in the world were to gather together, play chess and talk about the weather." The man finished with an impish smile

 

For a moment both Schneizel and Zero paused before exchanging a glance (an unsettling experience in its own right) before looking around them at the other guests.

You'd think they were watching someone trying to diffuse a bomb; expressions ranged from shock, to disbelief, to undisguised fear and suspicion, one man in particular had his foot facing the door and looked prepared to bolt in a heartbeat.

"So" Vongole' said with a huge smile after a deliberate pause of awkward silence, "How's the weather?"

"…Windy" Zero answered his robotic voice dry; the other guests looked as if their minds were breaking at  _Zero_  finishing a joke.

It was of course Lloyd with zero sense of social awareness who broke down in snickers first, even as Schneizel had to stop himself from smiling too wide at the sudden loss of tension.

 

"As fascinating as this is, I'm afraid your experiment might be a touched flawed" Schneizel continued with an honest chuckle, "I am hardly one of three most powerful men in the world."

What his humble answer left unsaid was that if he, the prime minister of the most powerful country in the world wasn't, than the other two surely were not.

"Are we not" Zero asked in an inquisitive tone as he leaned forward picking up a black chess piece "What is power, but the ability to exert one's will on the world around them; true the Emperor may be higher than you, but he has left most of the running's of his empire to you has he not, would that not make you more powerful?"

' _Bold'_  Schneizel thought, absently noting the man had started with the king,  _'No Britannian citizen would dare imply that the Emperor was little more than a place holder for me, even if that's become more and more true in the last year.'_

"Yet I move only accordingly to the Emperor's will, as all subjects must for their king" Schneizel answered smoothly, "Delegating, I believe is the term you are looking for; and even so, I'm afraid that same power does not expand to a single Rebel Force like the Black Knights."

 

"Nor would it to Mr. Vongole' who instigated this topic" Zero said with a nod of his helmeted head to Vongole', who hadn't taken his eyes off the game from where he was now whispering to Croomy, but both knew was listening intently, "But perhaps I should have said that power was the  _act_  of exerting ones will on the universe, rather than just the mere ability to. In which case Mr. Vongole's original statement is true, I can think of no three people creating more waves in the world at this moment then those here at this table.

Well Schneizel couldn't deny that; with the Emperor working on his little personal projects, Schneizel had been busier than ever gathering the strength of the nobles to him, as well as quelling the brush fires in the country with his own unique not Darwinist methods. Brush fires that had been started by the raging inferno that was Zero, who had the whole world waiting with bated breath for his every move.

As for Seashell, Schneizel thought with a glance to the final member of their party who met his eyes evenly, like he was following along to Schneizel's thoughts, on the surface they remain in the background chugging along unaffected by the strives of the world.

 

' _But that isn't quite true is it Mr. Tsunayoshi Sawada?'_

 

The Vongole' family had once been a massive criminal organization, powerful but not world changing. Then came the revolutions and the Brittanias and others of the ruling class were forced out of their homeland to the colonies creating the European Union. A Union with massive power gaps, power gaps that the Vongole', or Vongola as they were once known, were all too happy to fill.

From the corner of his eye he watched the man poach his scientist; the young woman slowly relaxing her posture around the charming bold young man, with no idea she was talking to the unofficial shadow leader of the third biggest Republic in the world.

He wondered if even Zero knew, he wouldn't be surprised

 

"Such is the prerogative of the young and ambitious, I suppose." He finished

"And you are a young man are you not Master Zero?" Vongole' said speaking up for the first time since the chess game had restarted

"What would tell you that Mr. Vongole'?" Zero said focusing his attention on his other opponent, and it was Schneizel's turn to sit back and watch the debate, "and what would make me answer, I do where this mask for a reason?"

"I'm aware" Vongole' said with a smile, burning eyes flickering not to Schneizel but the man's crimson haired bodyguard.

Interesting, had he seen something Schneizel had not?

 

"What would make me say that, I'm simply very observant Master Zero, my job would requires nothing less." He waved away, but his eyes were challenging, waiting.

Zero answered the challenge

"You were able to guess my presumptive youth from just a few words of conversation, Mr. Vongole?" Zero asked, and Schneizel could  _hear_  the man raising a challenging eyebrow

"No, I could tell that easily enough from the way you walk; flamboyant and airy as it is." somebody, Schneizel suspecting Weinberg and Yamamato snickered, "I was able to get far more from the conversation than just that."

 

At Zero's inviting hand wave, Vongole' graced them with the same cold smile he'd given Schneizel not a few minutes ago, when saying animals were treated better than number subjects in his country.

"You are arrogant, conceited, and vain, but anyone could tell that" Vongole' started coldly, and Schneizel watched the redhead bristle, a casual (not quite threatening) shifting of foot from Yamamato kept her in place, "Japanese is not your first language, though you allow a significant amount of slang to know you've been exposed to it from a young age, you are likely between your late teens and very early twenties, you were born in and raised of a significantly high standing, you've may have lost that standing but you still carry many of the ingrained habits in your more unconscious movements, for a commander you have very little hand to hand skills."

He paused briefly rubbing a hand against his chin in obvious thought even as the whole room hung on his every word

"Your fiercely intelligent perhaps even a true genius", he continued slowly eyeing the nearly finished chess game, "Ruthlessly pragmatic, yet surprisingly emotional and prideful… I've heard no lies in any of your  _recent_  speeches; you are overall an ambitious idealistic man. A demon with an angel's soft heart, which I suppose is better than an angel with a devil's heart, depending on how much one care's about methods vs results."

 

When he finished there was a moment of dead silence as the room, even his "fiancée" and bodyguard, stared at the masked man with considering eyes; though Schneizel didn't miss the obvious glance at him at the 'angel with a devil's heart'.

"And which would you say you are more like Mr. Vongole'?" Schneizel asked, and wasn't surprised by the man's ever present smile

"Why I am the cruelest of all" his eyes empty and cool, "a simple man with a human's heart, fickle and indecisive as it is."

 

As he spoke his eyes flickered between Schneizel and Zero making it clear that he was deciding which one of them he would support in the coming days, not an insignificant support with the sheer size of Seashell and the Vongole's influence; it seemed discussion of rebellions and coups were passed, they were dealing world politics now.

"Decimo?" a male voice interrupted

A silver haired man with a scowl and piercing green eyes looked over them both with obvious contempt, even as he leaned down to whisper something in Vongole's ear.

Schneizel couldn't help equate a resemblance to the red haired bodyguard, not familial but ethnicity wise, perhaps they came from a similar mixed community.

"Thank you" Vongole' said with a nod, his expression not leaning one way or another to the nature of the news, "It seems I have some pressing engagements to take care of tonight, as apparently do you."

 

Before anyone could ask what that meant, the room was filled with a piercing scream of Miss Einstein

"ZERO!"

"Well it was wonderful to meet you all", Vongole' continued obviously ignoring the commotion as he and his men began to make their way to the door, "Zero, your highness…  _Ms. Croomy_ "

 

With that the man smoothly made his exit, no one else able to make any protests with Einstein's sudden appearance.

' _It was wonderful to meet you too, Mr. Vongole''_

 

**Adjective:**  Masked Tsuna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This can be a Part One I suppose, though I wouldn't hold my breath if anybody requests a Part Two soon; I really only made it for the conversation between two geniuses that wear literal and figurative masks and a Tsuna who masks are useless on. Tsuna doesn't have Geass or Dying Will Flames.


	3. A:TLA Part One

 

**Avatar The Last Airbender: Prologue**

 

Peace shattering squeals and high pitched shrieks of young children echoed across a warm tropical beach, as the sun slowly began to set in the distance.

An old man on a beach chair a few yards away soaked it all in, allowing a rare smile to spread across his otherwise permanently surly features.

(Not at the loud noise, no that irritated him)

No, he was smiling as he watched the culmination of almost ten years of planning run across the sand trying to tackle each other.

 

"Too slow, boys" said a bratty showoff voice of a little girl in a red bathing suit, as she smirked arrogantly at her two companions

"Sh-she's r-really fast" panted a little boy in brown trunks, from where he lay panting in the sand

"Don't give up Tuna Fish" came the aggravated voice of the oldest, a tall boy of eight, as he looked down on the collapsed brunette.

"Calling me that doesn't make me want to move  _Zuzu_ " the slightly younger boy groused, using the others own embarrassing nickname

 

"Dissension among the ranks already?" came the condescending  _high pitched_  voice of the  _six year old_  girl, "-sigh- Males, so useless"

"Shut up  _Azzie_ " 'Zuzu' sneered at the girl who sneered back, "C'mon Tsuna, you always get tired!"

"And trip, and get scared, and fall asleep first" 'Azzie' helpfully added, while Tsuna piteously pouted

"I didn't fall asleep first last time!" the boy protested, "That was Zuko!"

"That's because Azula poisoned me!" the older boy said pointing accusingly at the younger girl, who'd crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at the accusatory finger

"You just got sick because you were trying to eat more cookies than everyone else Dum Dum, I had nothing to do with it" Azula answered condescendingly, something her brother obviously disagreed with and was about to retort when the third interrupted.

 

"Lie" came the quiet voice of the little boy on the ground; the slightly monotone certainty in his voice cut through all argument.

The old man who had been observing the exchange leaned forward, unable to keep his interest at bay, especially when the other two children took his word as some kind of final unquestionable verdict.

Zuko immediately turned a triumphant look at his little sister and gave a vindicated 'Ha', while Azula for her part merely scowled darkly, not even attempting to defend herself further.

"Whatever" Azula grumbled unhappy

"No whatever!" Zuko immediately returned to being enraged after his brief moment triumph, 

 

_The boy had far too much of his great grandfather's temper- Sozin could burn the world with his sudden rages_ ,

 

"We're telling mother and father that you tried to kill me."

"I didn't try to kill you idiot" the girl hissed, sounding _exactly_ like her grandmother Ilah before she fried some moron that had tested the limits of her patience, "It was just a little fun."

"What kind of crazy person finds poisoning people fun!?" Zuko cried incredulously

"I do, obviously" Azula said sounding scornful, cruel, and condescending at once, and that was all Ozai right there.

"Lie" came the same quiet interruption before Zuko could explode; once more young Tsuna had taken over the flow of the entire argument between two prideful royals with a single word, not unlike Timoteo in fact.

 

Both kids turned to their companion who looked at them with a disturbingly calm face, his dragon gold eyes looking disturbingly orangish in the setting sun.

"Didn't you guys go see Love Amongst The Dragons before I got here Zuko." Tsuna asked the older boy, who dumbly nodded, waiting to hear if Tsuna would elaborate

"Yeah, they completely butchered Princess Rayko's character, and missed her core drive for why she was starting her revolution in the first place." Zuko answered sounding just as unduly aggravated as his mother who had dragged the entire family to see the play every year, even if she spent the whole time critiquing it.

"Dork" Azula mumbled

Zuko glared

 

"Isn't that the story where the princess loses her father the second prince to poisoning?" Tsuna asked

"Yeah" Zuko drew out looking at his sister suspiciously who was pouting defiantly at the other boy sitting in the sand

"Isn't it possible to build up immunity to poisons if you take smaller dozes slowly over time?" Tsuna asked not taking his eyes off of the little princess

"…Azula?" Zuko questioned looking less suspicious and more surprised

"What" she hissed curtly, still not looking at her brother

"Did you put poison in Zuko's cookies to build up his immunity because you were worried about him being taken away from you?" Tsuna asked a small twitch at his lips

"No, why would I-" but her answer was interrupted

"Lie" Tsuna cut her off with cheesy grin, "You shouldn't lie so much Azzie, but it's cute how you were afraid of losing your bwig bwothuh."

Azula's face burned red and opened her mouth presumably to deny her actions, but the old man had heard enough to confirm his thoughts.

 

Tsunayoshi of the Sawada Clan had inherited Agni's eyes; eyes that like the great sun above, saw through almost all.

 

' _So it was a good investment after all'_  the elderly man thought returning to his previously relaxed position,  _'And their friendship is evolving as well as hoped, he's even acting as a peace maker between Ozai's children.'_

 

The leading Famiglia of the Island Nation Italia had been allies of the Fire Nation for the better part of 400 years; even when the war first started Italia had thrown it's astounding weapon manufacturing skills behind the Fire Nation to the rest of the world's ire.

Nowhere was this alliance more true for the Sawadas and the Royal family.

 

Four hundred years ago when Giotto Vongola retired from his home in Italia to the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Zhouge had welcomed the man with open arms.

Giotto Vongola, the spirit born son of the Greater Spirit Agni, and the only known human individual to have ever beaten a fully realized Avatar in the Avatar State in single combat. Even with the man all but escaping his home nation, Zhouge would have been a fool to turn away the possible asset, and instead gave the man a shelter in his time of need while still keeping an open trading with the mixed nation of Italia.

Giotto's family were given the name Sawada, which immediately became nobility; even with their deterioration from various "mysterious deaths" since the war started, the Sawadas were always welcome in the royal palace as close to the Royal Family as possible.

 

Zhouge's decision was repaid countless times, and the last four hundred years of history were painted with the Sawada name as the family had an unnatural habit of producing dangerous master benders. As it happened however, timing and gender had always prevented them from marrying into the royal family as Zhouge had wanted.

However. eighty plus years of war could wear on any friendship, and with the Sawada's only heir Iemitsu having been evacuated out of the Fire Nation to live with his distance relative Timoteo after the "accidents" erasing the rest of his family, there was definitely a strain. It didn't help that Iemitsu who had risen to the second in command of his country and was the one frequently sent as an ambassador, loathed and was loathed by the second prince Ozai; it was only a matter of time before a similar strain in relationship began to show between the two countries.

It was ten years ago when Azulon had been tracking down Roku's line, hoping to maybe merge the once Noble line with Avatar blood with his own, that a solution was presented.

 

Two sisters, Ursa and Nana, granddaughters of Avatar Roku were found to be close to the same age of Ozai and Iemitsu. Azulon had planned to have one of the girls marry his youngest no matter what, but hoped against hope that at the very least that if he invited the two of them to a place where Iemitsu would be present, that the man would take in interest in one of them.

As it turned out, Iemitsu and Nana decided they were hopelessly in love within moments of meeting, and were set to be married as soon as Iemitsu could ship the appropriate bride price. Tsunayoshi Sawada was born six months after his cousin Zuko, and a little less than a year and a half before his cousin Azula.

At last there was a blood tie between the royals and the Sawada and by default the command structure of Italia.

 

' _Blood is everything to those Italians'_  Azulon thought as he watched his granddaughter put her older cousin in a choke hold while her brother sat to the side laughing at his panicked face,  _'As we of the Royal Family are the children of great dragons, they are the mortal children of Agni'_

Giotto, Timoteo, and Iemitsu all had been born with hair yellow dipped of the sun, and eyes that could glow with the orange of fire; eyes that Tsuna's had glowed not a moment before as he spoke Agni's truth. Tsuna was officially one of three people eligible of leading the nation of Italia.

' _Two'_  Azulon mentally corrected,  _'Federico was allegedly drowned by Water Tribe'_

Vongola's trials of succession could be just as bloody as any royals if not more, which could be terribly convenient for Azulon; it would be a wonderful coincidence if the only remaining heir was a boy who had grown up close to and loved by the his cousins the Royals of the Fire Nation.

 

' _Stupid Massimo, so eager to slay his brother for power, he does not bother to see how vulnerable he made himself to us'_  Azulon thought, a dark smile spreading across his face,  _'When Xanxus finds out what his traitorous brother did to his favorite brother, not even Massimo's bones will be found, and if my source is correct then Xanxus himself is ineligible leaving only...'_

Azulon looked at the beach where young Tsuna managed to twist and pin Azula to the ground, the two were smiling viciously at each other; Azulon noted that the girl tended to drift closer to her cousin and vice versa then either did towards Zuko.

The girl was power hungry and would likely bump her brother aside for whatever inheritance he decided to pass to his ungrateful brat Ozai. Azulon knew it would barely satisfy her, as Ozai wanted to be Fire Lord, she wanted to be a queen.

 

' _Perhaps you will be granddaughter'_  he thought with a raised eyebrow, as Tsuna's gaze lingered on her pinned form with a wide teasing grin and the little girl blushed,  _'Queen of Italia perhaps…?'_

Azulon turned the idea over in his head; Tsuna with his blood was able to see through her malicious lies and even to the vulnerable girl who loved her family but only knew how to show it by toughing them up with traps, and pain. He saw  _her_ , something not even the girl's own parents could do, saw her vulnerability, her brilliance, her cunning… her monstrousness… and loved her anyway.

As for Azula, the girl obviously appreciated not having to hide in front of Tsuna even if it still clearly embarrassed her to be seen through so easily; there wasn't much a prodigy like her couldn't offer any man, let alone one with a destiny like Tsuna's. And his son was not an unattractive man, his daughter in law even less so; Azula would be a  _very_  beautiful woman one day.

 

Azulon watched as Tsuna helped his cousin up, the girl huffed and stomped off embarrassed, leaving behind her cousin and brother to share 'Girls-are-crazy' looks.

Iroh would be leaving to start his campaign towards Ba Sing Se as soon as this Summer ended with his son Lu Ten; Ba Sing Se would be conquered in three years maximum, when he returned home Azulon would finally retire as Fire Lord.

By then Xanxus claim to Vongola would be eliminated, legitimate or not, and Tsunayoshi would begin his training to be made leader; Azulon would make sure to teach the boy some lessons before the Summer was over, and the next few Summers as well.

A marriage contract could be set up to just before Tsuna's official claim to the Vongola Throne could be made and the girl could be sent with him to Italia to complete both of their training.

Zuko wasn't a prodigy like his sister, but he was more than competent and possessed Sozin's blood in spades and honestly reminded Azulon of his father more than any of his other family; away from the shadow of his sister he could excel, perhaps be a right hand for Lu Ten.

 

A crown for Iroh, Tsuna, and Azula; a promise of power for Lu Ten and Zuko, and a lesson of humility for the left behind Ozai.

Azulon smiled, yes everything was coming together nicely.

 

* * *

 

" _Iroh has lost his son. Your cousin Lu Ten did not survive the battle"_

" _Dad's going to kill you!"_

" _Azula always lies. Azula always lies."_

" _Everything I've done, I've done to protect you."_

" _As was your dying wish you are now succeeded by your… second son."_

" _Hail Fire Lord Ozai!"_

 

* * *

 

 

"C-can you repeat that" came the nervous stuttering of the young boy, as he desperately tried to ignore the arrow being pointed directly at his forehead.

"You have been chosen as the next head of the Vongola Famiglia, the ruling family of the island nation of Italia, and we need to leave in the next week before your uncle, Fire Lord Ozai, sends his assassins to kill you." Came the calm cold statement of the young boy in front of him.

Tsunayoshi "Tsuna" Sawada was having just a bit of trouble absorbing the information that was being presented to him.

 

' _How did I get here!?'_  he screamed in his head piteously, why did these things always seem to happen to him,  _'First the spirit monster at the temple thinking I was some guy called Ieyatsu, then the Yu Yan guy swearing his allegiance to me, and now a five year old with a crossbow is threatening to kill me so if I don't become the boss of an allied nation. Why me!?'_

It didn't make sense, Tsuna was an ordinary, if failure of a guy as far as he was concerned; he knew he was related to royalty and had a deep family history, but that was about it. He was still the clumsy kid who was behind in fire bending class because he somehow kept burning his hands, he was still the kid who'd gotten kicked out of the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Young Men, and was Namimori Prefectures hopeless prince that everyone expected to get picked up by the draft despite high standing because no craft would take him.

 

"That's what I thought you said" Tsuna said, carefully leaning back from the arrow to rub his face in frustration; the child (if he was a child) had a dangerous aura about him that said he could, would, and most likely had killed before, "Can I ask why me."

"You accepted that fairly easily" the kid stated instead with a questioningly raised eyebrow, even as black eyes tore into almost as bad as his father's own golden stare.

"I know when I'm being lied to" Tsuna answered, it was clear this wasn't an ordinary kid he needed to censor his words around, assuming this kid was even human  _'Though that doesn't always count if the person themselves believes the lie as true, and spirits always have their own rules I have to guess at'_

"Agni's sight" the 'kid' answered having finally dropped his crossbow, "Good, not all descendants have it."

"Agni's sight?" Tsuna questioned even as he filed away the comment about descendants, did this have something to do with his always absent father?

"The ability to see through all and shine a light in the dark, a light worth being followed" the 'kid' answered

 

"...Riiiiight" Tsuna nodded along, the 'kid' wasn't lying or anything, but nonhumans had a terrible way of speaking in weird, poetic hard to understand circles; "Going back to the why me… ah, I don't know your name."

"My name is precious and not to be spoken by mortal men"  _well that was some serious spirit magic talk if there ever was_ , "But  _what_  I am, represents the cycle of life and death, and so you can call me Reborn."

"… Do you do that every time somebody asks you your name?" Tsuna said after a beat, unable to resist the smart ass answer.

 

_***WHACK*** _

 

"Ugh" Tsuna coughed violently as the 'kid', Reborn, kicked him in the face causing him to go flying

"I don't tolerate disrespect Dame-Tsuna" Reborn muttered as his only explanation, "And I gave you the full explanation because if your Spiritual gifts picked up on my given name being a lie, I'd have to deal with your unnecessary distrust."

"Yeah cause kicking me in the face sure salvaged that relationship." Tsuna once again snarked, the knee to the gut was probably deserved, but he couldn't help it; his wit had been sharpened against the scariest, most arrogant, cunning, and sharpest people in the world, not even spirits could curb his mouth nowadays.

"You might as well get used to it" Tsuna said groaning and pulling himself back into a seated position, "I'm not going to stop, just work around it, 'Mr. Prospective Master'"

 

That was what the kid had called himself when his mother had seemingly abandoned all sense and allowed a five year old loaded with weapons walk into their home. Tsuna had turned thirteen a few months back, a common age for kids of lower status to pick a craft from a master or begin taking adult responsibilities in their parent's craft, or if they lived somewhere less rural than Namimori, begin curtailing their education at school to a certain craft of their talents.

Tsuna, as a technical noble, would usually be getting some form of higher education from family tutors to overlook whatever properties their Clan was in charge of, but as previously laminated, no one wanted Tsuna in charge of anything and were all waiting for the day the army would come drag him off to go clumsy himself in the way of enemy fire.

 

His mother was the child of a fallen but once great noble family close to the Fire Lord's before the war and as such was nowhere as stupid or airy as she pretended to be; the woman had learned to play vapid airheaded simple looking trophy wife of a constantly absent noble man to a 'T'.

Whether Reborn had been taken by the act, or if he saw and played along was irrelevant, the point is his mother had allowed this suspicious character into their home for a reason. So even before Reborn whipped out the crossbow in the safety of Tsuna's room, he was already on edge, prepared to listen to what the kid had to say.

 

"Not prospective, actual" Reborn countered his snark, though not without a sharp poke, "There wouldn't have been any real tests or trials and I would have taken you either way, but while I'm not particularly impressed I'm not as disappointed as your records would lead me to believe."

"Gee thanks" Tsuna muttered

"Your welcome Royal Academy drop out" Tsuna flinched, that one stung, "I will be teaching you what you need to know to be a boss of Vongola and by default Italia, but we need to leave soon."

Tsuna let out an aching sigh, looks like he was getting dragged into something ridiculous again.

"Right, you said something about Ozai", Tsuna wouldn't call the man Uncle or even Fire Lord after his beautiful Aunt's disappearance, "wanting to kill me for some reason, which somehow leads to me… what, trying to take over an allied nation in retaliation?"

 

Honestly he wasn't trying to call Reborn a liar, but he could really use some context here

"Not now, but recent events have made your immediate safety a concern" Reborn answered in a dead serious voice, then his next words cut through all of Tsuna's smart assery, "Your cousin Zuko has been scarred and banished"

With that one phase the temperature of the room dropped

 

Tsuna sat up perfectly straight, unknowingly calling on old lessons of appearance of power and leadership from his late honorary grandfather; his eyes went hawk sharp, and an orange ring had appeared around the edges of golden irises.

"Explain", it was an order not a request, one that promised a thousand consequences if not complied to

Reborn wasn't the kind of man to obey a child, not even baby dragons with a glare sharper than their fangs, but the seriousness of the situation called for a swallowing of pride, they needed to move.

"He spoke out of turn to a general in a war room he shouldn't have been in" Reborn growled lowly, "Sources on the counsel make it clear that someone (possibly the Fire Lord) set him up. They suggested a particularly heinous plan to sacrifice new recruits as a diversion (it's been done before, back during the twenty year standstill after Azulon retired from the field), and prince hothead couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"…Dammit Zuzu" Tsuna whispered in a broken, but there was a growing heat in the room that told he could suspect where this was going and wasn't liking it.

 

Tsuna had never cared for the vicious political maneuvers of the court, but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of them, or didn't know how to at least keep his head above water when things turned especially violent. His ability to look through lies was a priceless tool; Agni's Sight saw through the dark and corrupt, and called for those with it to uphold honor. Zuko was good, anybody with Azula for a sister had to be, but he had a tendency to delude himself; Zuko's honor was in accordance to that of a prince from one of his precious plays, and not in alignment to the world that they lived in now.

Tsuna did not have that delusion or pride or princely arrogance, and would have at least seen the trap, maybe whispered his opinion to Iroh ( _who no doubt let Zuko in_ ) and have him speak on his behalf. Of course Zuko didn't keep his mouth shut.

 

"Disrespect in the Fire Lord's War Room is not tolerated; an Agni Kai was challenged, Zuko accepted" Reborn continued

"…Who was it" Tsuna asked, wandering which General he would have to  _hunt_  for scarring his cousin, hunt and most likely die trying to kill.

' _ **Not my family'**_ , Tsuna gritted his teeth barely controlling his uncharacteristic rage; Agni was honor and truth and life, but it was also heat, and power and  _violence_ , and Tsuna was nothing if not a child of Agni.

Reborn eyed him, or rather his clenched fist, and could no doubt feel the fluxuating heat in the room

"It was the Fire Lord himself" Reborn answered, "Zuko refused to fight his father and begged, the Fire Lord burned his face and sent him off on a wild hen-goose chase to catch the Avatar."

Dead Silence, and then…

 

_***WHOOOSH*** _

 

The walls, the bed, the curtains, the desk; all went up in flames, burning with the white hot intensity of Tsuna's anger and then…

Just as quickly as the flames came about they were gone, and Tsuna hissed cradling his burnt hands. He always burned his hands, it was why he never advanced past the basics of fire bending.

 

"Agni's Harmony" Reborn said eyeing the pink skin, apparently this was another thing that could be explained by his Italian heritage, if Tsuna was in the mood he might have felt some measure of relief in knowing he wasn't as much a failure as he thought.

"The news will probably break in about or week or so after it finishes circling around those who were present in court that day, I doubt the full story will come out though." Reborn continued after a moment as Tsuna rubbed burn cream he carried on him over his hands, "We need you out of the Fire Nation before Ozai starts cutting all his other 'useless links'"

"You are aware that Ozai is an Usurper, correct" Reborn continued after a moment of silence; tilting his allowing the foreign wide tipped hat to shade over his eyes, making his childlike face look much more dangerous.

 

"Loyal citizens of the Fire Nation would not dare question their Fire Lord's divine right to rule" Tsuna answered in a dull tone, even as his mind cycled back to his father stopping all Summer Trips to the palace and Ember Island, and the cold blankness of his mother's face, more telling of her rage than any words could, "but close members of the court might find themselves reminiscing over their old Lord's love for his first born and scorn for his second and perhaps allow their minds to drift to purely academic 'what ifs'"

"Hmm indeed. In any case after your aunt's  _completely unrelated_  disappearance during the night of Azulon's death, the Fire Lord took a sharp and sudden distrust to his wife's family and meant to have you questioned on her disappearance. However Iemitsu continued to run interference… Ozai has never liked Iemitsu" Reborn answered going along with his 'play dumb' answer; at the mention of Ozai's hatred for his father, Tsuna felt a cold thrill of fear for the man, was Ozai purging the palace of all those he couldn't during his initial rise counting his father and cousin, was he and his mother next?

"Your father is fine" Reborn said, probably reading the fear off his face, "The man is the Head of Italia's armed forces and Second in Command of the Nation; Ozai won't move against him without breaking relations with Italia, he has always underestimated your mother and will leave her be, but you are the one currently in the most danger."

 

Tsuna let out a slow breath of relief, taking his father's position in relative stride; his father was a terrible liar, there was no way in hell the man was having letters delivered from ships trying to breach the North Pole, as simple noblemen trading oil.

"So why do you think he wants to kill me specifically" Tsuna asked, "I'm not eligible for his thrown, and I'm probably less of a threat in his eyes than my mother… which is kind of true actually."

 

Nana Sawada was scary when she was being protective mama dragoness

 

"Because it's only a matter of time before he discovers your significance" Reborn replied gravely, "Ozai has no intention of keeping relations with Italia before Sozin's comet comes in the next three plus years; Ozai is not a man to share. Vongola Nono is aging fast and you are the last remaining descendent with Agni's touch that has the right to take over and help reorganize the Vongola to prepare for the eventual break in alliance. You've probably started to notice the anti-Italian propaganda popping up in school since Ozai's takeover"

Tsuna remembered, fire nation took blood lines seriously and everyone knew Italia had once been a dumping ground for criminals of the world. His teachers had not exactly demonized Italians, but they made no secret that Italians couldn't be trusted. There was even a brief time after Ozai first took over where they'd been encouraged to think of Italians as savages, but that had been scrapped in less than a month since any moron with eyes could see the Made in Italia signs on their local metal works.

 

Each and every Italian was a descendant of some irredeemable criminal who'd been shipped off to some lawless island before the Vongola Famiglia forced order on the continent and got the other nations to stop using it as a dumping ground for their cast offs. In fact it was the blended culture that Sozin first drew inspiration for his war, especially since more than 80% of its inhabitants were of Fire anyway

"So he'll kill me to cripple Italia" Tsuna asked, "but then wouldn't that put my mother in just as much danger! Any child my parents could potentially have would be!"

"He doesn't know your inheritance" Reborn interrupted his growing panic, "but we need you out of the Fire Nation; the maiming of your cousin (who was known to have Italian sympathies) has lit a fire under the upper Echelons to get you secure and trained, before he can find out. Which is why your mother has to stay behind with the retainers and your father at the palace; it has to be business as usual, nothing can draw his attention to his useless forgotten nephew, who left with a wandering craftsman to train him to be something useful. Your humiliation will serve as a smokescreen."

 

Tsuna swallowed, as the full situation started to come to him; he was in line to be the King(or was it Don) of the technically third strongest nation in the world. His crappy Uncle, the head of the first strongest nation in the world, would have him hunted and killed if he ever found out- along with the heads of every other nation that hated Fire/Italia Alliance. His cousin Zuko was maimed and his other cousin-

' _Azula'_  Tsuna found his thoughts derailed as he thought about a showoff little bossy pants girl, with a mean grin and a fragile heart,  _'Is she okay? How is she taking Zuko's banishment? She'll probably lie to herself about caring for his wellbeing, the two of them always hurt each other so bad, always misunderstanding. She'll be left alone with_ _ **him**_ _, will she be safe? Will Zuko? What do I do, how did it end up like this?'_

 

"What do I do?" Tsuna muttered aloud, thinking about his broken relatives, but Reborn chose to answer as if he were talking about their next course of action.

"Now you gather your Guardians" Reborn said seriously

"My Guardians" Tsuna asked tasting the unfamiliar term

"Italia is a land with a rich and bloody history connected to the other nations; that along with its ruling Famiglia's founder being a Spirit Born, has made Italia a very Spirit sensitive land" Reborn lectured, "In order to maintain the balance of Italia's Spiritual Affairs, the leaders of the Famiglia have always been chosen from a diverse group of humans. The Boss (You), who is always a Spirit Born descendant of Agni, a non-bender, a water bender, an earth bender, an air bender, a fire or in some cases purely lightning wielding bender, and a Spirit  _Touched_ \- typically a shaman of some kind."

"Not sure how much luck we got for the air bender side" Tsuna mumbled absently not wholly listening; forgive him but the whole,  _'I'm a Prince sort of and next to Zuko am probably the most wanted man in the world'_  thing was still at the forefront of his mind.

"We'll see" Reborn said with a tilt of his head

Tsuna gave him a sharp glance, but the little creature merely gave an unrepentant smirk

 

"Right, well, I guess I better get Hayato" Tsuna said sighing and deciding to just try and roll with the crazy like he always did; he hoped Reborn wouldn't see how pale his face was or the slight shake in his voice, though he knew he would

"Hayato?" Reborn asked, mercifully ignoring his attack of nerves

"Non-bender from the colonies, he has Yu Yan and demolitions training and is madly loyal to me. He'd follow me even if I tied him up here." Tsuna explained, even as he thought of the obsessed green eyed young man with a scowl and a smoke pipe.

If there was anything that categorized him as a non-bender it was that; fire bending came from the breath, no bender would unnecessarily risk their lung capacity like that.

 

"Agni Life Bridging" Reborn commented, tossing out another term, "Spirit Born of Agni use it to connect with others, which is how the Bosses of Vongola were able to bond their spirits with other benders; 'Hayato' is probably already your non-bender Guardian. You trust this boy?"

"With my life" was Tsuna's immediate answer, remembering a boy who had dropped to his knees and pledged allegiance to the Sawada Clan after Tsuna came running after him and keeping him from exploding down in the mines.

"MY LORD" came a voice bursting into the room, and Tsuna could just process a teary eyed teenager falling to his feet, "YOU PRAISE ME WITH SUCH WORDS!"

"This is Hayato?" Reborn raised an eyebrow at the groveling teen Tsuna was trying to comfort

"I had him listen at the door in case you tried to kill me" Tsuna answered without a hint of shame, "I've led an interesting life; Hayato please get up it's not that big of a deal."

"I don't doubt it, all Spirit Born tend to get into chaotic situations regardless of their Spiritual Forefather" Reborn continued, using that odd term again Spirit Born, giving the teenager vowing to follow him across the world an evaluating gaze, "You have green eyes, mixed blood?"

Hayato froze, before turning a sharp glare at the black coated boy, though that glare quickly rescinded upon meeting cold inhuman eyes.

"Bastard" Hayato spat, not quite daring the other to protest, "Fire Nation Noble, Earth Kingdom Trinket."

"Hmm, not unlike the first generation's right hand" Reborn responded, uncaring of the boy's challenge, "You have five more to go, and we  _need_  to go, we can't waste any more time."

 

Tsuna looked out a the window, his eyes unconsciously fixing on the hill leading to the ports, which in turn faced the capital Caldera City and the Palace.

A spike of worry shot through him; worry for his mother, worry for Zuko, a surprising amount of worry for his absentee father, himself, Hayato, his home ( _would Ozai spare him if he found him gone_ ), and worry for…

 

' _Azula'_  his heart gave a familiar yearning tug; even after three years he always thought about her, always worried for her.

She had such a hard time communicating outside of using fear, and he knew she wasn't quite all right in the head.

She was damaged, and fearsome, and scary, and cunning, and cruel and  _still_  so so beautiful in her own way, and he always wished everyone else could see it.

 

"Reborn" Tsuna asked absently, and felt the kid-creature's eyes on him, "If I go with you, will you help me save the Fire Nation too? Ozai is one man not the people, and the people are… they're…"

Reborn tilted his head, and Tsuna thought he heard him mutter something about a clever old bastard dragon.

"That is up to you alone Tsuna, but Vongola is not without its own strengths, if you put in the work" Reborn answered, "And you have me as a Master, I am the best in the world at what I do after all."

Tsuna nodded, not taking his eyes off the horizon

"Very well, let's find my Guardians"

 

* * *

 

In a tea shop in the colony of Guanyin, a tall young man with a brilliant smile, served a cup of Ginseng to a group of old men playing Pai Sho.

"Ah this is a lovely brew" said the shortest squattest man, fire nation nobility in a rundown colony?, "Please give my appreciation to the brewer young man."

"Your appreciation is much appreciated, your lordship" the tall teen said with a smile

"You made this tea!?" the old man asked with wide eyes

"Ha ha ha, I've been working in shops since the day I was born your lordship" the teen laughed good naturedly, "There isn't a tea I can't brew, or a meat I can't grill."

"Tell me young one, would you be interested in joining a club of friendly Pai Sho players." The old man asked in a deadly serious voice

The man next to him face palmed

 

"Iroh, we are not letting the kid in to be your tea servant." he grumbled, and the teen laughed

"Sorry, your lordship, but I prefer to travel the open road; I'm only here to learn what I can, before moving on." The teen apologized good naturedly

"Even better" the old man exclaimed, "I happen to have recently been put on a ship traveling-"

"Iroh. No." the face palming man interrupted

 

Before he could respond, the door was kicked open by another teen with brown skin and shaggy hair, along with several other grubby teens behind him.

"Well, well, well, do my eyes deceive me, or do I see a prince of the Fire Nation in my town!?" the teen questioned loudly centering on the men at the Pai Sho table.

The tea server raised an eyebrow at the older squat man in the fancy robes, who had immediately and incredibly conspicuously began to cough into his tea cup.

"Truly you are a master of stealth Iroh" the other man rolled his eyes

"Ah, guilty as charged!" Iroh called out, even raising his hand politely as if he had been flagged down by an old friend, and not a group of armed teenagers, "How may I help you young men"

"And lady" the tea server said pointing to a smaller scruffy one standing next to the boy with a bow

The girl blinked surprised and then looked vindicated

"My apologies, young men and lady" Iroh corrected

 

"You're coming with us Old Man!" the boy with hook swords said threateningly, "I think your bloody corpse in the town square, will finally get the message across that your kind isn't welcome here."

"How short sighted" Iroh's opponent mumbled, even as he took note of the dangerous shift in their tea server.

"Yes I'm sure that would cause quite the stir" Iroh answered unconcerned; hook swords took insult to that and stalked forward.

Only for the tea server to get in their way, a smile on his face

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to harass the customers' sir, please exit the premises" the smiling teen said just as calmly as the seated man

"Takeshi!" the shop owner yelled in worry from where he and the other customers had backed up in fear.

"Step out of the way kid, that's fire nation scum" the teen growled

"Kid" Takeshi said with a smiling tilt of his head, "I think I might be older than you Mr. Wheat Addict"

 

The hook sword teen flinched

"I don't have time for you" he growled and slashed a hook blade at the taller teen

 

_***CLANG*** _

 

Only to have it clash against a brown thin blade

A blade that formed from the tea of the cups around the room

"You're a water bender?" hook blades asked in shock

"I prefer swordsman" Takeshi smiled, "I don't know much water bending."

"Why are you protecting this Fire Nation Prince then!" Hook Blades roared, trying to push Takeshi down, but Takeshi just moved out the way before 'lightly' pushing the other teen back.

Hook Blades went flying across the room

"I'm not" Takeshi answered in a cool sure voice, the smile had disappeared, and the teen suddenly looked very, very threatening, "I'm protecting this town from a fool who would call down the might of the Fire Nation on their heads for petty vengeance."

The other customers suddenly looked even more fearful while the grubby teens bristled, even as the old men playing Pai Sho looked on curious by the development.

 

"Alright, we can see about him joining the club." One of the men grumbled audibly; Iroh snorted

"Coward" the teen charged

"Petty fool" Takeshi whispered

It was over in an instant, and the scruffy teen was on the ground clutching his chest

"JET" the other kids shouted

"Take him and get him treated" Takeshi said calmly as the others glared at him, "If you continue, I  _will_  put you down to save this town."

"S-shut up" 'Jet' moaned

"Jet!" the girl screamed

"Save your strength man" came the deep rumbling voice of the big one

"T-this t-town is a b-bunch of cowards" he spat, "it c-can drown in the l-lake for all I c- argh!"

"JET!!!"

 

"Take him and get out" Takeshi repeated, "His hate has no place here; he can go to the front line if he wants to get people killed"

With a final glare the teens collected their friend and left

 

"Now then" Takeshi said turning to the silent crowd, a smile spreading across his face, "Can I get you anything?"

"Yes" called the a small childish voice, and Takeshi looked to the corner or the room where a child was sipping a cup of coffee, which Takeshi knew they didn't brew here, and looking insufferably smug "Tell me, do you serve clams?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely a Part One, even if no one else likes it.

**Author's Note:**

> Future Crossovers may include but are not limited to: Code Geass, To Love-Ru, Rosario Vampire, Danny Phantom, Twilight, Young Justice, Percy Jackson, High School DXD, Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple, Negima, Harry Potter, Avatar the Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, Pendragon Series, Spy High, Black Butler, Avengers, One Piece, and maybe a few suggested if I've read or watched it before
> 
> This Fic was created for two reasons;  
> (1) Helping me get used to writing the different facets of Tsuna (Crazy, Serious, Angry, Sad) for other fic in my weakest genre: Romance   
> (2) Hope that it will inspire more Crossovers that aren't strictly about a Fem Harry Potter X Some Desirable Male KHRCharacter, of all things. I mean I get it, but some variety community, please
> 
> Some fics will come in multiple parts and I'll return to them as desired


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